Monday, October 19, 2009

Frost.

We'll see what the damage is later today. The thermometer outside my window tells me it's 42 degrees. That thing hasn't been right since the day I bought it. The neighbor's roofs are covered with white stuff. That doesn't happen at 42 degrees.

Some pictures taken yesterday, the late and lasting bloomers.

melampodium - blooming since I brought them home from Carrie's.

helianthus - blooming for a few weeks now.

Yvonne's salvia and Miss Huff lantana - bloomed all summer long.

clearance rack mum - I really like the deep dark red. I hope she returns next year.

Gerber daisy - Buried under the flopping coreopsis, I thought they had died. There's a white one in the back yard blooming too. They're supposed to survive the winter here if given good drainage.

Salvia greggii - first year I've grown this. Seeds have been collected for wintersowing.

Waking up in the middle of the night, this was all I could smell.

The cold is almost gone. A nagging cough remains. Back to work today for 6 days. Hopefully the mechanical woodsplitter will be fixed this week and brought back. We'll be in the upper 70s again in two days. Another chance of frost tonight.

I also updated the map of my property last night. So many things have changed since the spring when I drew the other.

1:19pm - Sunny and 55. No damage to report from last night's frost. The brugs in the perennial bed came through unharmed as of yet. I hope they can make it through tonight's chance too.

The coleus by the front walk seems perfectly happy.

The yet unbloomed yellow brug was covered by a sheet propped up by my pitchfork.

The cosmos have no trees protecting them and came through just fine. The bees are happy.

Even the pineapple sage is standing tall with no damage.

Keeping my fingers crossed for tonight. The 10 day forecast shows night time temps in the 40s and 50s all next week. Back to work. Miserably slow day at the store.